Trapped
by travln1
Summary: Cuddy, Stacy, Cameron, Amber & Thirteen get stuck in a PPTH elevator one evening. Conversation swirls around House, Cuddy is claustrophobic and House torments her by texting her. Wilson/Amber. Oneshot.


This was a story started by Chippers87 via lostplotbunnies at lj. The first part of this is her work (though I changed I think two words) up until about the time Stacy, Cameron and Cuddy enter the elevator car, at which point I took over the story. Here was the description **Chippers** gave: _I had begun a fic immediately after "Don't Ever Change" that got Cuddy, Cameron, Thirteen, Amber, and cue surprise music Stacy stuck in one of the PPTH elevators late one evening. Of course, they'd only have one topic of conversation. :)_

This didn't quite go as she was hoping/expecting/planning, but I got an idea in my head that begged to be written, so I went with it (sorry **Chippers**, House doesn't show up on a motorcycle to wisk Cuddy off at sunset). Thanks to **Chipper**s for betaing!

Sorry, don't know what's up with ff...but I've found several changes to my text that were not in the original (some he saids/she saids are on the line above where they should be). I think I got them all.

Trapped

Lisa Cuddy sashayed through the halls out of the Pediatric Oncology ward, shrugging off her lab coat whilst surreptitiously blinking the tears from her eyes. _God, I'm pathetically predictable_, she thought as she already felt the craving for frozen yogurt sweep over her. _No sprinkles this time – that'll show him_. Cunning plan for confectionary domination in place, she jabbed the elevator button with surprising determination and proceeded to pay little mind to the other women who dared join her in her wait for the lift.

Remy Hadley strolled out of the Diagnostics Office, more exhausted than one should have been for not having had a patient all day. She'd spent the entire day brushing up on her knowledge of Star Trek, thanks to Kutner's insatiable talkative streak, and once House had left two hours before, she'd been treated to an observation of Foreman, Kutner, and Taub's version of "Pin the Tail on the Playboy Model." _If that's male bonding, perhaps it's better that I stick to my own kind_. She had half a mind to mention something about it to Dr. Cuddy when a disturbingly happy voice interrupted her musing.

Amber Volakis snuck out of James Wilson's office, quietly shutting the door behind her. When he had told her that he would most likely have to pull an all-nighter to get all of his paperwork done, she'd decided that bringing him dinner would be the best way to spend any time with him at all tonight. A euphoric sigh escaped her lips as she made her way to the elevator, and she couldn't help but mentally start repeating her new mantra – _Love __**and**__ respect, love __**and**__ respect_ – to herself when she saw a woman who, up until a few weeks, had been her greatest enemy. But now Amber was all about change, and in the spirit of such transformation, she cheerily exclaimed, "Thirteen!"

"Amber," Thirteen warily replied, unsure if this was about to turn into another one of Cutthroat Bitch's mind games.

"How's work?"

Shaking images of pushpin-to-model-mutilation from her brain, she responded, "Fine. How's Wilson?"

"Oh. You know about that?"

"House mentioned it."

"To whom?"

"Everyone," Cuddy muttered as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside.

Stacy Warner slumped against the blessedly cool wall of the second-floor elevator bank. Of all the places she could have been on Friday evening, Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital was definitely last on her list. When she'd received a phone call a few days ago asking her to come in and consult on a lawsuit that she'd worked on before she left, she had been reluctant to agree. However, when her guilt complex kicked in and reminded her that the hospital didn't deserve to lose millions just because she couldn't face her ex, she knew what she had to do. And now after, eight long hours of explaining to some idiot lawyer why his client should just settle while doing her best to avoid Greg, Lisa, and James, she was just ready to go home. Only one floor and a set of doors separated Stacy from freedom. _The hard part's going to be explaining to Mark why I had to drive 100 miles just to stay at work a couple hours late_, she ruminated as she willed the elevator to arrive just a little more quickly.

Allison Cameron sauntered out of the ICU. It had been a slow day down in the ER, and she had decided that before heading home, she would do a follow-up on some of the patients she'd encountered the past few days. Then, it would be off to spend the entire weekend with Chase. _I mean, Robert. Robert_. They hadn't had many weekends just to themselves since they'd been together – one of them was usually on call – so Cameron looked forward to occupying her entire two days with him. And only him. _Stop thinking about House!_ As she was about to start bounding down the stairs, she saw someone out of the corner of her eye whom she thought she'd never see again. "Stacy! You're…here."

The lawyer's eyes burst open, and she took in the sight before her. "Cameron, you're…blonde," she said as the elevator doors opened.

Cameron and Stacy entered the elevator, greeting the three women already inside.

"Stacy, this is thirte…Drs. Hadley and Volakis," Cameron motioned towards both women as they entered the elevator car.

"Remy," Thirteen said, politely.

Amber shot Thirteen a surprised glance; Amber hadn't known Thirteen's first name. Smiling fakely at Stacy, Amber thrust her hand out for a far too persistent shake. "I'm Amber."

Cameron chuckled, and looking at Stacy, she said, "House calls her Cutthroat Bitch."

Stacy shook her head and stifled a chuckle, "Same old House."

"Apparently my blond hair makes me look like a stripper."

"I suppose he likes it," Stacy said with a knowing smile. Cameron nodded, having almost forgotten how well Stacy knew House.

Hesitating, Cuddy fumbled, "Stacy, it's good to see you."

"Lisa," Stacy said with a forced smile.

The doors to the car closed, and the elevator began its descent.

Stacy looked at Amber, "Cutthroat Bitch, huh?"

Amber raised her eyebrows and nodded, "We should come up with equally as deragotory a nickname for him."

Before anyone had the chance to come up with a fantastically demeaning nickname, the elevator car came to an abrupt halt, bouncing twice before settling midway between floors. The lights flickered briefly and suddenly, all power went out; the five women were plunged into darkness and each held her breath, hoping for light and a swift end to the elevator's technical difficulties.

Cuddy inhaled sharply, thrice in a row. Trying to gain control of her breathing, she shut her eyes, almost chuckling at the absurdity of the act in a pitch dark box; she could no more see her fingers in front of her face than she could anything else in the elevator car. Shutting her eyes suddenly seemed childish.

Memories of a childhood prank rushed back, as it always did when she found herself in small, enclosed spaces. She had been visiting family in Wisconsin, cousins she'd only met three times in her lifetime. She hadn't seen a cellar before, certainly not one that was used in case of an emergency. Her cousins encouraged her to check it out and gullibly, she did, not even remotely suspecting that her less than kind cousins would shut the doors that led into the ground before placing a large tire on top, trapping Cuddy inside.

She'd sat in that small, dark space for close to an hour, crying off and on. She experienced her first panic attack in that dark cellar before her father finally rescued her; he'd chastised her for being stupid enough to fall prey to her cousins, offering no sympathy for a crying and scared Lisa. Her cousins neither apologized, nor tried to make up for the cruel act in anyway. She'd been terrified of dark, confined spaces ever since. That fear was exacerbated years later when House inadvertently locked her into a storage closet. She'd experienced her second panic attack on that day, despite being able to find the light switch in the small storage room. Stacy had been her rescuer by chance as she went in search of old records for a trial.

Cuddy tried to get a grip on her current situation; rationally, she knew this predicament was only temporary. They would get out and she reminded herself of that several times, making it a mental chant while pretending to believe it. Shaking, her breath came in short gasps.

"Dr. Cuddy?" Thirteen asked, placing a reassuring hand on what she hoped was the dean's shoulder.

"Lisa?" Stacy added, "You're not still claustrophobic, are you?"

Willing her fear to dissipate, Cuddy squeaked, "No."

Cuddy was flanked by Thirteen on her right, who stood nearest the elevator buttons, and Cameron on her left, nearest the rear wall.

Pushing her way towards the buttons panel, Amber fumbled for the emergency call button in the dark. Pulling it, she hoped that some sort of digital beep or acknowledgement would emit from the car. She was disappointed with a barely audible click.

"That's it?" Amber asked. "Isn't it supposed to do more than that?"

Stacy now moved towards the front panel, and resting on her knees, she opened the telephone box and pressed the receiver to her ear. "Power's out; the phone's not working either."

"Cell phones?" Cameron asked.

"I've got one," Stacy said as she flipped open her cell phone, as did Amber and Thirteen.

Cameron pulled Cuddy towards the back corner of the car, all the while reassuring her. "Dr. Cuddy? Cell phone?"

Feeling the warmth of Cameron's hand on her back, Cuddy nodded, not realizing that Cameron likely couldn't see the gesture. She pulled her cell phone out, grateful for the glow the small screen provided.

"Damn, my cell's dead," Stacy groaned.

"James?" Amber's voice rang out. "James, we're stuck in the elevator." She paused, listening to a concerned Wilson, "No, no we don't have power." Cuddy closed her eyes, thankful Wilson had answered Amber's call.

Thirteen's voice was heard next in the dark confines of the small space, "House," she waited as Cuddy was certain House uttered a half dozen excuses as to why he couldn't possibly accept a phone call from her at that moment. "No, I did not have the pleasure of spending the night at Foreman's last night."

Cuddy smiled in spite of herself.

"Nope, didn't have an ex-girlfriend stay the night either."

Cuddy was growing impatient; and to think that only minutes earlier, she was overly concerned with buying a frozen yogurt minus sprinkles, just to toy with House's mind.

"Yes, I am _actually_ at the hospital. I'm stuck in an elevator with Dr. Cuddy-" Thirteen paused as she was cut off by House. She replied, "Yes, Dr. Cuddy."

Amber tried talking over Thirteen, as if competing for decibel level was of utmost importance. "No, I don't want to waste the battery; we'll be fine. Call me when you hear something. I love you, too."

"House?" Thirteen asked, "House are you there?" Closing her cell phone, she said, "He hung up on me."

Cameron laughed, "Typical."

Cuddy slid down into a seated position in the car, her back wedged into the corner. She held her cell phone tightly.

"James is calling maintenance; said he'd get us out soon," Amber whispered.

"James?" Stacy asked with an arched brow that no one could see.

Stacy thought she could hear the smile in Cameron's voice. "Amber's dating Wilson."

"Oh."

Cameron tried to settle in next to Cuddy, but Cuddy managed to get her wits about her, saying, "I'm claustrophobic; would you mind not sitting so close?"

"Sure, I'm sorry. Wasn't thinking." Cameron moved towards the other back corner of the car and sat herself down. Stacy sat nearest the front button panel, Thirteen in the front corner opposite Cameron, and Amber with her back against the doors.

Startling everyone, Cuddy's phone chirped alive and she nearly threw it before realizing that it was a reason to focus her attention on something other than the walls she was certain were closing in on her.

Cuddy settled into her little corner, opened her cell phone and found a text message.

_Not talking about me, are you?_

A relieved smile crossed her features at House's message.

"Is it maintenance?" Cameron asked.

Breaking her eyes away from the screen, Cuddy glanced into what seemed to be an even darker elevator car as she was lit by the cell phone, blinding her view of the others in the small space. "Uh no, my sister," she lied. Cuddy wasn't sure why she lied, thinking perhaps it might have something to do with not wanting to admit to Stacy that it was House.

Amber's phone came alive. "James just sent me a text. Maintenance is working on it right now; something about a short. Should take about twenty minutes."

Thirteen sighed in relief, "Tell him thanks."

"Already did," Amber said, snapping her phone shut. Cuddy thought Amber seemed to enjoy the forceful snap of the phone, as if proud she'd saved the day by calling her boyfriend.

"So, back to our naming game," Stacy said with a smile.

"Limping Bastard?" Amber suggested.

"Genius Bastard is less harsh," Stacy quipped.

"He didn't hold back with my name," Amber said as she took her heels off and set them aside.

Cameron smiled, finding this game to be both amusing and a good way to pass an otherwise stressful twenty minutes, "I think 'Ass' would work."

Everyone in the car began to chuckle. "It would," Stacy admitted.

Cuddy smiled along with them, as she received another text.

_Who is in the elevator?_

Cuddy shook her head as she typed as quickly as she could on the keyboard. _Stacy, Cameron, Volakis, Hadley. _He replied.

_Stacy?_

_Here 2 consult on a case. _

Why didn't you tell me? Let's keep this BY&M.

Cuddy read the message, unsure of what he meant. _Would you have met with Stacy? What is BY&M? _

_No. Between you and me._

_Why BY&M?_

Before Cuddy could read his reply, she heard Cameron calling her name. Looking up, she looked towards her direction, suddenly reminded of why she was sitting on the floor, texting with House.

"Are you okay?" Cameron asked.

"Fine," Cuddy replied a bit tartly.

"They'll get us out," Cameron whispered.

Amber sighed loudly, "At least we're only one floor up. Could be worse, we could be stuck on the sixth floor; that's a much further drop."

Thirteen shook her head, "Well, that's reassuring. I'm sure that made her feel much better."

"I'm fine, really," Cuddy said, trying to convince everyone in the elevator, including herself. Amber's reminder however, suddenly brought the situation at hand back to the forefront of her thoughts. Doubt and panic began creeping up on her.

"How's your sister?" Stacy asked.

"What? Oh, she's fine," Cuddy held up the cell phone. "I'm in the middle of a text with her."

"So, it's decided then? Ass? Is that his official nickname?" Amber said with a smirk.

"He's not an ass in bed," Stacy covered her mouth as soon as the words slipped from it; she hadn't meant to reveal that truth.

Cuddy glanced up into the darkness, "No, he's not."

Cuddy was lit from her cell phone, and every woman in the car now looked at her, her features shadowed so that they couldn't tell if she was making a joke or not.

"Wait, you and Dr. House?" Amber asked.

A new sense of fear took residence in every inch of her being. Distracted by the small space while trying to engage in a texting conversation with House, as four women talked about him, made Cuddy's tongue slip. Her breathing quickened as she realized where she was and what she'd said. Cuddy didn't hear Cameron calling to her.

"Dr. Cuddy? DR. CUDDY?"

"Lisa?" Stacy's voice brought Cuddy's attention back to the elevator car, her chest heaving with the remnants of a burgeoning panic attack.

"Breathe, Dr. Cuddy," Amber added.

"I'm okay," Cuddy said shakily.

Cuddy's phone chirped again, and glancing down she found she'd missed two messages from House.

_Cat got your texting tongue?_

_I'm here,_ she replied.

_I bet U R talking about me._

Cuddy smiled. _Stacy said U weren't an ass in bed._

"When did you sleep with him?" An icy chill sent a shiver down Cuddy's back. She heard the accusation in Stacy's voice. The other women were now eerily silent.

Still struggling to manage her desire to break down and completely lose it right then and there, Cuddy took a deep breath. "After you left. The first time."

Stacy let out the breath she was holding. "Not before?"

Realizing that Stacy thought Cuddy might have trod on sacred girlfriend/boyfriend ground, she sighed in relief. "No. I think I'm just going to sit here and text my sister. I'm trying to keep it together, okay?"

Feeling guilty for potentially accusing Cuddy of an act she knew Cuddy did not commit, Stacy conceded. "Okay."

Cuddy's phone lit up once again. _What did U say? _

_I agreed._

_So they know we've…_

_Yep._

_Perfect._

Cuddy looked up from the cell phone and found Amber looking at her before looking away. She glanced at the button panel and upon seeing that it was still unlit, Cuddy's breath caught in her throat momentarily.

The screen on her phone glowed again. _What R they saying now?_

Cuddy glanced up from her cell phone to listen for the four women and upon hearing the recount of his latest near death experience, she typed: _Knife. Wall Socket. Multiple near death experiences_.

She waited for his reply and as she sat there, two things occurred to her; first, she was suddenly acutely reminded of her current situation and the pangs of panic shot straight through her lungs. She inhaled sharply, trying to quell her rising fear. Secondly, she realized House had taken a considerable amount of time to respond and not wanting to admit that he was her current lifeline, she secretly hoped he would come back at her with a retort or something laced with sarcasm.

_House? R U There?_

Cuddy glanced at Amber and watched as she busily texted someone on her own phone. "Is that Wilson?" Cuddy asked.

Amber finished typing and looked up at her. "He says maintenance found the short and they're repairing it right now. Shouldn't be much longer."

Wringing her hands, Cuddy tried to remain calm. In the small box, she could have sworn that she heard the ticking sounds of Cameron's watch, each second indicating one more second of her life having passed in one of her worst possible nightmares.

"He saves a lot of lives," Cameron said, seemingly in response to something someone else had said.

Cuddy silently agreed. House routinely saved many lives; lives other doctors would likely have lost. "I wonder if he keeps count," Cuddy mused aloud.

"He used to, before I met him," Stacy replied.

Cameron stretched. "I don't think he does anymore," she said as she stood. The act of her rising caused the entire car to shake just a bit, but it was enough to force Cuddy's eyes shut. She sent a prayer up and resumed her patterned, deep breathing in hopes of staving off another panic attack.

"Sorry," Cameron apologized as she sat down again.

"Dr. Cuddy? Maybe you should place your head between your knees," Thirteen offered before joining in on the House conversation in an attempt to make Cuddy feel as though they weren't pitying her. "I know he keeps count of how many he's lost."

Cuddy's eyes remained closed as she tried to focus on the conversation, but she found she couldn't concentrate on it. The air felt stagnant, stifling. She was reminded of the scene in 'Star Wars' in which Luke and Leia, Han and Chewbacca were trapped in a garbage chute with the walls slowly encroaching upon them. Though she was not sitting in refuse strewn murky water, Cuddy was certain that at any minute the walls would begin to move.

"Lisa? Hey, you're receiving another text. Your phone's lit," Stacy whispered, hoping not to upset Cuddy further as she placed a hand on her knee.

Cuddy opened her eyes at Stacy's voice and glanced down at her phone, which was indeed lit.

_Not falling asleep R U?_

She could have sworn that his words were laced with a smirk. _Where R U?_ She asked in reply.

_Your office. The chocolate is heaven._

With that, Cuddy's anger spiked, picturing House seated in her chair, having rifled through her desk drawers to find her coveted stash of chocolate. A patron had given her an expensive box of Swiss chocolate just the other day and she was saving it for a special occasion. She imagined the box would be smugly emptied in her absence.

_Get out of my office! _

_Make me_

_Get out now, or five hours extra clinic duty._

_Oooh I'm scared_.

Despite not wanting to, Cuddy chuckled. _U R such a child. _

_GGP._

_What?_

_U Really Suck at this._

_What is GGP?_

_Gotta go pee?_

_Stuck in elevator, other things on my mind._

_I'd GGP._

_I M Not U._

_Do U always keep 2 sets of matching underwear here?_

_I don't keep-_

Cuddy's text was interrupted by another text by House. _Haven't checked all the drawers yet, but I will. _

_R U still in my office?_

_Yep._

_Get o-_

Before Cuddy could finish sending the text, the elevator car shook for just a second, causing all five women to gasp in fear.

"What's going on?" Cuddy called out.

Amber stopped typing her text message and dialed Wilson. "The whole car just shook." She paused as she listed to him. She glanced at Cuddy momentarily before staring at the floor. "No," she said, and moments later she added, "How long?"

Cuddy lost focus, unable to zero in on what exactly Amber was saying. Glancing down at her own phone, she wheezed several times, knowing she was moments away from a panic attack. The pain had not yet started in her chest, but she knew it would follow soon after the wheezing, just as it had in the Minnesota cellar and in the storage closet.

"Dr. Cuddy!" Amber said persistently, having twice called her name previously with no response.

Coming out of her reverie, Cuddy looked towards the sound of Amber's voice. "They're nearly finished; it should only be a minute or two. Your phone's lit up again."

Somewhat dazed, though once again able to control her breathing, Cuddy looked down at the cell phone.

_Just so U know, I changed the password on your computer._

"What?" Cuddy called out, startling everyone in the elevator.

"Is your sister okay?" Thirteen asked.

"No, my _sister_ is not okay."

Cuddy was stripped of her chance to further lie about her 'sister' when the lights in the elevator turned on. The humming of the lights grew louder as the elevator itself jolted into motion as all of the women dusted themselves off. Cuddy snapped her cell phone closed, made her way to the emergency phone and called maintenance. After a curt word of thanks, followed by a demand for a full report to be on her desk first thing in the morning, Cuddy, Dean of Medicine, was back in full force.

She was first out of the elevator, and upon exiting, Cuddy found Wilson waiting anxiously, along with several others on the main floor. Cuddy gave a quick hug to Cameron, Thirteen, Amber and even Stacy; words of relief were shared, random apologies flew every which way and Cuddy asked Stacy not to be a stranger and to call her once in a while.

Turning towards Wilson, Cuddy's focus was now aimed at assigning copious amounts of clinic duty. "Where's House?" Cuddy demanded of Wilson. He simply shook his head, unable to say anything before Cuddy stormed off towards her office, intent on giving House a piece of her mind, hoping to rescue what little might be left of her expensive chocolate.

As she approached her office, Cuddy could see that House was no longer inside. She pulled open her door, placed her lab coat on the coat tree and swifty made her way towards her desk. Cuddy began examining everything on top of the desk, when she looked up to find Wilson giving Amber a quick peck on the cheek just outside her office.

Walking in he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay? No, I'm not okay. House broke into my office while I was in the elevator, ate my chocolate and rummaged through my desk drawers," she said angrily.

Confusion gracing his features, Wilson sat down opposite Cuddy, "House hasn't been in here."

Her brow furrowed, she looked at him questioningly. "But he was texting me; said that he was in my office, eating my chocolate."

Wilson smiled knowingly. "Cuddy, House went home hours ago. I called him to let him know I'd be late tonight; I'm going over to his place tonight while Amber goes to dinner with her college roommates. Did you really think he was in your office?"

"I..."

Wilson stood from his chair and made his way to the door. "Did you have a panic attack in that elevator?"

"I, uh, well almost, but no. I was so angry at…." Her voice trailed off.

"Exactly," Wilson said as the office door closed behind him.

Cuddy sat alone momentarily, taking in Wilson's words; she closed her eyes and shook her head in understanding. She pulled out her cell phone and sent a text to House.

_Thank you._

_C U TMOR,_ he replied.

Cuddy pulled out the box of untouched chocolates from her desk drawer and smiled at his assumption that she'd kept chocolate in her office. After a handful of paperwork, she made her way to the fourth floor, via the stairs, and set the box of chocolates on House's desk, with a little note tucked inside. The note read, "C U TMOR."

Fin.


End file.
